British Gov’t Lifts Remaining Restrictions on Arms Sales to Israel
by Eliezer Sherman
IDF tanks. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The British government lifted all remaining restrictions on arms sales to Israel after a year-long review of 12 weapons export licenses, the U.K.’s Independent reported on Thursday.
The lifting of restrictions was announced by the British Department of Business, which imposed the restrictions in response to the 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip last summer.
During the conflict, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, some British politicians had called on the country to suspend arms exports, citing fears that their use by the IDF might harm civilians in the Gaza Strip, and one minister even resigned in light of the government’s refusal to do so.
But while a ban was never imposed, the Department of Business had adopted some restrictions pending a review of the licenses to make sure these weapons were not going to harm civilians.
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The exports in question were components for military radars and tanks, among other things, according to the Independent.
According to the British Daily Mail, the British government had granted 130 licenses to British firms to export weapons components to Israel in the four years prior to the war, which seems to indicate that placing some restrictions on 12 licenses would hardly impact British weapons sales to Israel.
